POND CASE STUDY

Usk Church in Wales Primary School

The school had developed ponds on two sites previously; the first one was far from the school building and had become vandalised, the second had drained away as the liner was torn.

A parent/governor/lunchtime supervisor/superwoman (also present mayoress) decided to rejuvenate the pond in 2003 to enhance the school environment and reinstate the use of the pond into the curriculum activities.  The project was funded by Agenda 21, through Monmouthshire County Council, and the school PTA, but many things, including man-power, were provided free of charge as favours.

What Happened:

• Wildlife relocated to a local pond

• The existing site, including many thick bushes, cleared; pond plants saved where possible

• The pond area enlarged and deepened using a digger; large boulders found in undergrowth and retained for later use

• A four foot fence erected around the area to seal off the area now and in the future for safety

• Lagoon liner (25 year guarantee; supplied by a friend and imported from Russia!) placed and filled with three tankers full of brook water from a local farm (another favour).  Left for 48 hours to ‘bed in’.

• Retained boulders placed around deeper end of the pond for aesthetics and safety.  A stone, pebble, sand mixture (kindly donated from the River Usk when work was being carried out) laid on the base.  This contained some wildlife

• Plants from old pond and some new plants planted

• Area surrounding pond landscaped with wild flowers, grasses and sturdy wooden benches supplied by the charity shop of the local open prison

Today:

The pond and surrounding area of wild meadow is used throughout the school from Reception to Year 6 for many areas of the curriculum.  The area has become a haven for wildlife, including numerous frogs, dragonflies and three types of newt, as well as the usual snail and beetle varieties.  The wildflower area looks splendid and helped us win a prize in the Wales in Bloom Competition.

Other Things to be Remembered:

• Carry out a survey before you start work on improving an existing pond.  You may have something rare already such as great crested newts!  If so timing of work is very important.

• Moving wildlife, particularly amphibians can spread disease.  Watch that you don't move non-native plant species from pond to pond.  Invertebrates from rivers may not survive in ponds.

• Keep as many existing plants as possible even if the intention is not to replant them.  Keep them in bags or a tank while work is underway and lay them next to the finished pond to allow the invertebrates to get back to the pond.

• Make sure you have permission from the relevant bodies before extracting water from rivers or removing pebbles, gravel etc.

• When planting avoid invasive plants and use species native to the local area.  The Natural History Museum has a searchable database of plants in your postcode here http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/postcode-plants/